Getty Filip Hronek, Vancouver Canucks
There are eight games on the NHL card for Tuesday, April 2, rife with teams fighting for their postseason lives. Expect playoff-like hockey games, complete with the emergence of some unlikely heroes.
Sidney Crosby and Filip Forsberg are among the high-priced names that highlight our NHL player props for April 2. However, our dfsPro projections have uncovered some additional under-the-radar value picks to help daily fantasy managers to fill out their rosters.
Let’s look at some of our model’s top AI-powered value picks for today’s games!
Top Value Picks: Forwards
Frederick Gaudreau (RW – Minnesota Wild)
dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.19, A: 0.28, S: 1.28, BLK: 0.59
According to our model, Minnesota Wild winger Frederick Gaudreau is expected to outperform his averages in in goals, assists and total points tonight against the Ottawa Senators. Despite a projected 22% decline in shots on goal, our model expects Gaudreau’s point potential to more than double (103%) thanks to projected upticks in goals (168%) and assists (65%).
Connor Zary (LW – Calgary Flames)
dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.24, A: 0.32, S: 1.71, BLK: 0.57
Our model projects a modest 10% increase in Calgary Flames winger Connor Zary’s goal potential tonight the Anaheim Ducks, as well as a 25% uptick in shots. His real value, though, is in his takeaway potential, which is expected to more than quadruple his average – from 0.22 to 0.98.
Nicolas Roy (C – Vegas Golden Knights)
dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.26, A: 0.25, S: 1.54, BLK: 0.64
Nicolas Roy is a solid two-way forward and good value option at center for tonight’s matchup between the Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks. Defensively, our model projects a 90% increase in his takeaway potential, as well as a 16% uptick in blocked shots. Roy, who recorded an assist in the teams’ last meeting on March 7, is also expected to see a 55% increase over his average goal potential in tonight’s matchup.
Cole Caufield (LW – Montreal Canadiens)
dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.45, A: 0.42, S: 0.87, BLK: 0.83
Like Roy, Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield is brings both offensive and defensive value to DFS lineups tonight as the Canadiens take on the Eastern Conference juggernaut Florida Panthers. Our model projects a 186% increase in Caufield’s takeaway potential, as well as a 235% uptick in blocked shots. Our model also likes his potential to snap a three-game scoring drought, projecting a 65% uptick in goals and a 16% increase in total points.
Top Value Picks: Defensemen
Filip Hronek (RD – Vancouver Canucks)
dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.25, A: 0.44, S: 2.12, BLK: 1.38
Filip Hronek hasn’t found the back of the net since Feb. 24 against the Bruins, but our model projects his average goal potential to more than triple tonight against the Golden Knights. He is also expected to outperform his averages in both points (12%) and shots (14%).
Ryan McDonagh (LD – Nashville Predators)
dfsPro Forecast: G: 0.19, A: 0.36, S: 1.13, BLK: 1.75
He’s not typically known as an offensive defenseman, but Ryan McDonagh was a major contributor on offense with 14 points during the Nashville Predators‘ NHL-best 18-game point streak from Feb. 17-March 26. He hasn’t found the scoresheet in any of the Predators’ last five games since posting a three-assist performance on March 19 against the San Jose Sharks, but our model projects a massive 379% increase in his goal potential and a 159% uptick in takeaways tonight against the Bruins.
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